Arteriovenous fistula after arthroscopic synovectomy in a patient with haemophilia.

Arteriovenous fistula is a rare complication of arthroscopy. We report a human immunodeficiency virus-positive person with haemophilia who 19 months after an arthroscopic synovectomy of the knee presented with increasingly frequent haemarthroses and a palpable thrill over the knee. Angiography confirmed an arteriovenous fistula. The patient was successfully treated by surgical ligation of the communicating vessels. The literature regarding vascular injuries after arthroscopy of the knee is reviewed.